


A New Mission

by SatansVessel511



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Natasha is a little shit, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-11 06:12:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7032589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatansVessel511/pseuds/SatansVessel511
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is having a hard time choosing a ring. So is Steve.<br/>Natasha decides to have some fun with this situation.<br/>(In which Steve and Bucky both decide to propose at the same time)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Step One- The Ring

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, so sorry in advance! Also I'm terrible at names and summaries, so sorry about that too.

The problem with rings is that they all look the same. Bucky has been looking at different variations of the same diamonds for weeks now, and he still can’t find one that’s _perfect._ He’s even tried online, and all he found was Steve’s shield made of colored diamonds. He was seriously considering it for a moment, too. 

He was starting to think about giving up and lying on the floor for the rest of his life. Might be easier than this. But just when he was going to act on this plan (at least for an hour or so), he received a blessing in the disguise of an extremely annoying spy. 

“Why are you _always_ on that computer?” Natasha calls, breezing into the living room and plopping down next to him on the couch. 

“What? Just because I’m old, doesn’t mean I can’t explore the wonderful world of technology,” Bucky replies snappily, angling the screen of his laptop away from her. 

“Ooh, what wonders are you exploring now?” She asked, craning her neck to get a glimpse at the screen. 

Bucky tilted the screen further away from her, and asked, “Why do you care?” 

“I’m booored,” Natasha moans, slumping onto the couch. “Clint’s out of town, Tony and Bruce are geeking out in their nerd dome, Thor’s in Asgard, Pepper’s in a meeting. There’s nobody else to talk to, so you win by default.” 

“Thanks?” Bucky answers. “What about Steve? He’s not busy.” 

“All he does is work out,” she complains. “I repeat: boring.” 

“ _That’s not_ all _he does_ ,” he thinks, suppressing a smirk. Instead he nods and says, “I feel you.” 

“Okay. So, back to hanging out!” Natasha grins. “What are you doing on that computer?” 

“Looking up ways to kill annoying people who keep bothering me,” Bucky deadpans, typing the words into the search engine and showing it to her. 

“How original,” she glares, then turns her gaze back to the screen. “Wait what is _that_?” 

Bucky tries to turn the screen away from her, but it was too late. She grabbed the laptop away from him and started to examine all the tabs he had left open (bad idea when you live with annoying shits who have no boundaries). 

“So not bored anymore!” Natasha says mirthfully, grinning at the screen. “Did you pick one out yet?”  
“No…” he answers miserably, and now it’s his turn to slump onto the couch. 

Natasha just returns to the screen, scrolling through the options of overpriced jewelry.  
“Hmm…” she muses. “I like the shield one.” 

“Me too!” he exclaims, letting out a small laugh. 

“Get your coat,” she says, suddenly rising from the couch and standing over him. “We are going shopping.” 

 

The shop Natasha brings him to is _packed._ Couples line the display cases, clamoring for the employees’ attention. Bucky eyes the crowd warily, automatically scanning each person and assessing their threat to him. A jab from Natasha yanks him out of his scouting. 

“Sorry,” he says, looking around once more. “Why are there so many people here? What’s the rush?”  
“ _You’re_ here too,” Natasha replies, giving him a pointed look. 

“True,” he shrugs, following her deeper into the store. 

She leads him to a display case that’s not being mobbed by potential buyers. Scanning the rings, she gives him a questioning look. 

“See anything you like?” she asks, gesturing to the case. 

“No. I don’t know.” he sighs. “Look, Steve and I grew up with next to nothing, I don’t think he would like all this fancy crap that costs more than our old apartment.” 

“Okay then,” she replies with a smile. “Don’t get him anything fancy, get something simple that _means something_.” 

A grin slowly creeps up Bucky’s face. He knows _exactly_ what ring he wants. 

 

Bucky and Natasha step out of the elevator laughing and weighed down with shopping bags. Steve looks up from his computer screen and smiles at them.  
“Hey, guys.” He calls from the coffee bar. 

“Hey,” Bucky echos, grinning widely. “I’m going to put this stuff in the bedroom.” 

He strides out of the room, carrying an impossible number of bags. Perks of being a super soldier, he guesses, no need for second trips. He looks at his computer, then up at Natasha, who is dumping her goods on the couch. An idea springs into his head. 

“Hey, Nat,” he starts. “I could use a little help.” 

“Sure,” she replies, looking up from her bags and walking over to where Steve is sitting. “What do you need?” 

“Well,” he says, gesturing at the screen filled with engagement rings. “I need some advice.” 

Natasha grins, “I know just the place.”


	2. Step Two- The Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the rings in place, the only thing left is the question. But saying those four simple words is harder than Bucky expects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait! I am a HUGE procrastinator and a piece of trash. I know it's not that good, but I had fun writing it.

Bucky should have known that picking a ring wasn’t going to be the hardest part. Who knew that after decades of working as the most feared assassin in the world, his hardest mission was asking a simple question. 

And it didn’t exactly help that Natasha was giving him pointed looks every time he was in the same room as her. For the _second_ most feared assassin in the world, she wasn’t very subtle. 

He can’t really blame it all on his terrible friends, the real problem was of course his paralyzing self doubt. Steve had always been accepting of Bucky’s problems, had always understood when Bucky needed to be alone. He always made sure that Bucky knew he was loved. And Bucky did. He knew that Steve loved him, but he worried: _did Steve_ really _want to tied to him- to his damaged mind- for the rest of his life?_

Bucky shakes the crippling sense of anxiety, and continues to scroll through the list of restaurants on his computer. _You gotta start somewhere, don’t ya?_ He should have known that the universe wouldn’t stop messing with him after 70 years of living in the shadows. So it’s no surprise that when the door bursts open, it’s Natasha who enters. 

“I have a feeling that we’ve been in this position before,” she says with an impish grin. 

“Let me guess,” Bucky says, ignoring her comment. “I win the pleasure of hanging out with you. By default.” 

“No such luck, Barnes,” she replies, falling onto the couch, like last time. “I’m leaving soon, just popped in because I left one of my guns here after our last mission. You seen it?”  
“Uh, yeah,” Bucky answers, pointing down the hall. “It’s in the bedroom, on top of the dresser.” 

Natasha rose from the couch, stalking across away and disappearing into the other room. Bucky heard a faint rustling noise, and gave a resigned sigh. 

“Stop looking through my stuff!” he shouts, rolling his eyes. He should have known. 

“I don’t know what your talking about,” came the reply. Moments later, Natasha walks out, carrying her pistol and donning an innocent smile. “Okay, I know you’ve been in the dark for the past thousand years, and you’ve only discovered the wonders of the future, like, a year ago, but you are seriously addicted to that thing.” 

“Is our friendship based solely on you making fun of me for being old?” Bucky asks, not taking his eyes from the screen. 

“Of course not!” she exclaims, an indignant look on her face. “I like to think I make fun of you for other things too.” 

“Not to my recollection,” he says. “But I guess that’s just my age-ridden mind.” 

“Oh come on, you can’t steal my jokes!” she gives him another offended look, then smiles. “But seriously, what are you doing now? Do you desperately need my help again?” 

“Not this time, Nat. I think I’ll be fine on my own. And besides, don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Natasha just rolls her eyes, waving a silent goodbye as she steps back into the hallway outside the apartment. The door shuts with a bang, finally giving Bucky peace so that he could _work._

It doesn’t take him long to find the perfect place, but it does take quite some time for him to work up the nerve to make the reservations. By the time he’s done, Bucky feels emotionally exhausted, yet lighter too. Like a weight he hasn’t noticed he was carrying has been lifted.  
_____________________________

Bucky fidgets with his tie anxiously, trying desperately to get his nerves under control. He lifts his gaze back to the bathroom mirror, checking for the seventh time that his hair is okay. He’s still getting used to the shortness of it, after he finally couldn’t stand having to push it out of his face every two seconds. He sucks in another deep breath, letting it out slowly before turning away and entering the living room, where Steve waits. 

“Ready?” Steve asks, smiling widely as he takes in Bucky’s fitted suit. 

Bucky lifts his hand up to feel the slight bulge in his suit pocket, where the ring rests safely. “Yes.”  
_____________________________ 

Steve laughs when he sees the restaurant. Giving Bucky’s ribs a sharp jab as he asks incredulously, “Really? We’re eating at a place called _Loki?_ ” 

Bucky shoots him a mischievous grin. “Actually, that’s not the reason I choose this place, but it _is_ a happy coincidence.” 

“Oh yeah?” Steve replies, returning his smile. “So why _did_ you pick here?” 

“This used to be my favorite bar! I used to drag you here all the time. Turns out they turned it into a fancy restaurant in the 1990’s.” 

“ _This_ is the Hickory House? Wow, they really fixed it up.” 

“Shut up, I had great taste in bars.” 

Steve doesn’t even bother to reply, just rolls his eyes as the waiter leads them to their table. 

There are tons of things Bucky likes about the future, at the top of the list is the food (Well maybe not the _top of the list,_ but pretty damn close). So when the waiter hands them menus, it takes Bucky forever to narrow down his list of options enough for him to make a decision. 

“Come _on,_ Bucky,” Steve groans, as Bucky continues to contemplate his options. “Just pick something.” 

“It’s a very important decision, Steve,” Bucky replies, eyes darting from his menu to Steve’s and quickly back again. 

When Bucky made a decision, Steve gave a sigh of relief, giving Bucky a pointed look that showed his annoyance at his behavior. Their food comes quickly, and Bucky is happy with his choice as he takes the first delicious bite. 

The dinner seems to pass quickly, and Bucky grows more nervous with each passing minute. He was seriously considering chickening out, and doing it later. Maybe- no. It has to be now, he’s ready. 

“Do you remember when I took you here for your 20th birthday?” he asks, looking at the bar and thinking back to a time, decades ago, when they were young and untouched back the horrors they’ve faced. 

“Yeah. You got so drunk, we had leave early because you tried to fight some guy for stealing your spot, when he was sitting across the room.” 

Bucky throws his back and laughs, “I don’t remember that at all.” 

Steve laughs along with him, “Do you remember _anything_ from that night?” 

“Actually, yes. I _do_ remember something,” Bucky says, smiling softly at Steve. “I remember that night was the night I realised I was in love with you.” Steve is blushing now, returning Bucky’s adoring smile as he continues, “I remember trying to ignore my feelings for you, I never would have thought that you would ever feel the same way about me, much less that we would ever be able to tell people about our relationship. And I certainly never thought that after 70 years, after losing each other, we would find ourselves in a new century, together.” 

Bucky takes a final deep breath, and reaches into his pocket, pulling out the small box and kneeling down on the stone floor in front of Steve, “You saved my life, that day on the helicarrier, and everyday since. I don’t want to lose you again, Steve, never again. I don’t think I could live without you. I want to be with you, for the next 70 years, for all the time we spent apart, for the rest of my life.” 

Bucky opens the box, revealing a simple ring with a small gem in the middle and engraving spanning its circumference, _“‘til the end of the line”_. He looks at Steve, and smiled, “Steven Grant Rogers, will you marry me?” 

“Well, shit,” Steve replies. 

A surge of panic floods Bucky, had he done something wrong? Did Steve not want to marry him? He scanned Steve’s face frantically, looking for a sign of disappointment or disgust. But Steve was smiling, grinning like an idiot as he pulled something from his own pocket. 

A laugh broke free from his lips, as Steve opened his own box, revealing a ring, modest yet beautiful, for everything it represented. Steve chuckles a little as he says, “I was gonna ask you tonight, but I guess you beat me to it.” 

Bucky grins widely as he leans in and kisses Steve. It feels like their first kiss, new and hopeful and ridiculously happy. He pulls back a little, “So I’m guessing that’s a yes?” 

“Yes,” Steve answers, before pulling him back in.


End file.
